Optical Atlas

Cloud Recordings has updated their website with information regarding a pre-order of Circulatory System’s Signal Morning.  The album, which is released on September 8th, is being followed by a vinyl edition in October.  You can pre-order the 180-gram white vinyl with gatefold packaging beginning August 1st on Cloud’s website.  Plus, the first 150 to order will receive the “deluxe” edition, which comes with “a bonus LP containing demos and alternate versions of songs from Signal Morning.  This bonus LP will be packaged in handmade jackets designed by W. Cullen Hart.”  This sounds similar to the Inside Views CD-R which was released in conjunction with the first Circulatory System record, but I’d say that vinyl is much better than a CD-R, wouldn’t you agree?  Thanks to mgocze for the tip.

A Hawk and a Hacksaw will be touring the U.S. this fall in support of their new-ish album Délivrance–here are the dates:

09.12.09 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle (Adventures in Modern Music)
09.14.09 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
09.15.09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Your Inner Vagabond
09.17.09 Montreal, Quebec @ Il Motore
09.18.09 Cambridge, MA @ YMCA Theatre
09.19.09 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
09.20.09 Washington, DC @ Rock N’ Roll Hotel
09.23.09 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Tavern and Music Hall
09.24.09 Athens, GA @ Melting Point
09.25.09 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
09.26.09 Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
10.06.09 Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture
10.07.09 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
10.08.09 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
10.09.09 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10.10.09 Eureka, CA @ Nocturnum
10.12.09 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
10.13.09 Seattle, WA @ The Tractor
10.15.09 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10.16.09 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

The Elephant 6 Townhall has assembled an album of covers of E6 songs, from of Montreal through Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and more.  You can download Elephant 6 Fanfare through this thread.  Thanks to lenn9o9n for assembling the project, and everyone who contributed.

Folklore has been astoundingly productive since their debut a few years back. Their third album, Home Church Road, is already complete (expect more details soon), close on the heels of Carpenter’s Falls…and they’ve debuted a new video from Carpenter’s Falls, which you can watch below. Some live dates follow.

Folklore – Upcoming Dates
08.15.09 Philadelphia, PA @ The Green Line Café w/My Teenage Stride
08.22.09 Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls w/My Teenage Stride
09.27.09 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s w/Still Flyin’

Circulatory System have been added to the lineup of this year’s Flaming Lips-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties New York.  The festival is held September 11-13 in Kutshers Country Club, Monticello, NY.  Tickets are available here.  Thanks to Kathy for the tip.

Speaking of Circulatory System, I’m debuting their new track “Overjoyed” in a long-overdue update to the Optical Atlas streaming jukebox.  The track is, of course, part of the wonder that is Signal Morning, released September 8th on Cloud Recordings.  Also in the update: vintage Elephant 6 recordings from Will Cullen Hart’s old recording project, Always Red Society, and Bill Doss’ The Sunshine Fix, both tracks available now on a split 7″ released as part of Happy Happy Birthday to Me Singles Club.  I’ve grouped all three together in the playlist for an old-fashioned Olivia Tremor Control buzz.  Plus: new music from Robert Schneider’s psych band Thee American Revolution, of Montreal covering Prince for SPIN Magazine, a track from James Husband’s upcoming solo album on Polyvinyl Records, new songs from Casper & the Cookies and Nesey Gallons, and a pair of older cuts from Elf Power and Great Lakes.

As has been widely reported, Chris Knox of New Zealand’s The Tall Dwarfs last month suffered a stroke, which has left him facing a long recovery. Knox has old ties to friends Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control–the Tall Dwarfs joined OTC’s reunion tour years back, and Cloud Recordings reissued some of the band’s classic catalogue–and now it’s been announced on the Chris Knox blog that Jeff Mangum and Olivia Tremor Control are among the artists slated to appear on a Knox tribute album (along with…David Kilgour, Will Oldham, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, Superchunk, and so many others). I have confirmed with Kelly Ruberto of Elephant6.com that at least Olivia Tremor Control has said “yes” to contributing material. This will be something to watch closely and with great interest… 

Thanks to Therum for the head’s up.

Stereogum has premiered the latest video from of Montreal, a pretty hilarious concoction for “Mingusings”…

Big Fresh’s stellar album B.F.F., which I excerpted in my podcast interview with John Ferguson, is gaining a worldwide re-release from Garden Gate Records this Tuesday.  The label, which is also releasing Thee American Revolution’s debut album this November, recently partnered with Red Eye Distribution; the result is that the album previously limited to 150 copies will now be available more widely in online dealers and select record stores.

You Ain’t No Picasso recently interviewed Madeline for their My First Time segment.  Check it out.